This invention generally relates to clock timer devices intended for use with a telephone.
Numerous stopwatch-like mechanisms have been heretofore designed for use with telephones to satisfy the need of certain professionals for accurate time records. An example would be the need of attorneys, accountants, doctors, architects, and the like whose services are billed on a time basis.
The numerous devices previously developed have tended to be either extremely complex and, hence, costly to manufacture and expensive to the consumer, or extremely simple and unsatisfactory from the standpoint of capabilities and performance. Among the more complex devices are systems which involve a substantial size unit, including a multiplicity of keys by which client code numbers, job code numbers and a variety of other notations may be stored in a computer-like memory and/or printed on a paper tape along with the time information primarily desired. The simple devices may involve no more than a clock which may be started and stopped by the manual depression of a control button.
While each of the prior art devices presents a solution to the problem of having a convenient means for keeping accurate time records, the complex systems tend to provide a solution that is an expensive overkill, while the simple systems provide an inexpensive, ineffective device.
In the patent to Graham et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,463, issued on Oct. 30, 1973, for Electronic Long-Distance Telephone Call Computer And Recorder, there is disclosed apparatus for automatically computing and recording the cost of long-distance telephone calls. An elapsed time indicator digitally displays the time period of the call. The patent to Graham et al. does not teach the provision of a manually operated time indicator digital display for displaying the time duration of a job in addition to the time duration of a telephone call.
The patent to Epperson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,971, issued on Nov. 22, 1977, for Digital Wristwatch And Stopwatch discloses a digital wristwatch in which is digitally displayed horological information and the time duration of a start-stop sequence. In the patent to Epperson, there is no teaching of digital display for displaying the time duration of a telephone call in addition to the time duration of a start-stop sequence.
The patent to Lang, U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,355, issued on May 19, 1970, for Telephone Timing Device discloses a telephone timing apparatus in which a switch is responsive to the movement of a telephone cradle plunger for digitally displaying the time duration of a telephone call. The patent to Lang does not teach the combination of a digital display of the time duration of a telephone call and the digital display of the start-stop sequence to show the duration of a job or the like.
In the patent to Plummer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,366, issued on May 16, 1967, for Communication Metering And Registering Apparatus, there is disclosed a pressure sensitive switch operable from the use of a telephone handset to record the time duration of a telephone call. The patent to Plummer does not teach the combination of a digital display of the time duration of a telephone call and the digital display of the start-stop sequence to show the duration of a job or the like.
Lastly, the patent to Naito, U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,935, issued on Apr. 20, 1976, for Chronograph Wristwatch discloses an electronic timepiece having a digital display for displaying chronograph information and start-stop durations. A selector switch selectively connects switches to divider circuits in response to a setting of a mode switch. The opening and closing of the mode switch is coordinated with the operation of another selector circuit. The patent to Naito does not disclose the combination of a digital display of the time duration of a telephone call and the duration of a start-stop sequence.
Applicant had filed on Aug. 22, 1977, Ser. No. 826,361, an application entitled "Telephone Timer Device", which application has been abandoned.